For What It's Worth
by Chenoa6
Summary: After "The Final Warning". The flock is forced to split up and scatter for safety. Maximum Ride is now Bella Swan. Being someone else is hard, but being herself endangers everyone around her. What do you do when being the best is what gets you killed?
1. Chapter 1

**For What It's Worth**

**Chapter One**

"No!" I said for what must have been the millionth time. I was sitting in my mom's kitchen trying not to lose my temper.

"Max, it's the best way to keep the flock safe." Jeb tried to reason. "There have been rumours that Itex are rebuilding under a different name. If they do, then their first goal would be to get rid of the ones who destroyed them last time."

"We've done fine up until now, no thanks to you."

"Max," my mom stepped in. "Jeb makes a good point. It would be harder for people to find the flock if you split up."

Who's side was she on? "We're strongest when we're together. And we split up once before, it didn't work out too well." That had been one of the worst weeks of my life.

Jeb nodded as if he were taking my point into consideration. "Yes, but this time it would be under more controlled circumstances. You'd each be in a safe house, everyone would know where the others were-"

"No!" I said once again. "How many times do I have to say it? I'm not splitting up the flock on your orders!"

I pushed my chair back roughly, making it scrape against the floor, and stormed out of the room.

I found the flock lounging in front of the TV. I sat down heavily and sighed.

"They still trying to split us up?" Gazzy didn't even look away from the screen as he spoke.

"Yup."

"Maybe we should think about it." Angel said.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Well," she started hesitantly. "We are on the news a lot. Everyone knows who we are after we came back from Antarctica. If anyone wanted to find us it wouldn't be that hard."

"Yeah, but we can deal with them easily." Gazzy said.

"But what about people who are always around us? Max's mom, and Ella, and Jeb. They'd be in danger too, right?"

That left us all in silence.

* * *

><p>Jeb cornered me again that night. We were in the kitchen and Iggy was making everyone PB and J sandwiches before we went to bed.<p>

"I want to talk to all of you as a group." He started. "I've made a few changes to the plan I told you about. Some compromises that might make you feel different about it." He glanced at me.

"What changes?"

"Well, not only would you all know where the rest are, you'll also be able to keep in touch with each other."

I leaned back, giving him more of my attention.

He'd said before that if the plan was going to work properly than there couldn't be any contact between the flock. Psh. Like that was going to happen.

"You'll each have your own disposable cell phone, with each other's numbers on it, along with mine and Valencia's in case you need anything."

I glanced around at the flock. "If we were to say yes, how long is this going to last?"

Jeb hesitated. "That's yet to be determined. It depends on how well the plan goes. But I suppose if you all wanted to pull out, or if something happened, then you could easily re-group and forget the whole thing."

I glanced at the flock again, then at Jeb. He got the message.

"I'll let you discuss it a bit." He closed the door behind him.

"What do you guys think?"

There was a moment of silence as they thought.

"I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt because of us." Nudge said. "Especially Dr. Martinez. She's don so much for us."

"And Jeb said we could pull out anytime we wanted." Iggy added.

"We could try it out for a while. See how it goes."

With every sentence my body felt colder and colder, until I was afraid I'd start shivering. Everyone suddenly thought their laps were extremely interesting, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Except Fang. He was staring right at me, his face as emotionless as ever. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, whether it was 'Let's try this out' or 'Max, what the hell are you thinking?'

Jeb came back into the room. "Have you decided anything?"

"Yeah," I said slowly, looking at the flock, hoping that someone would jump up and say, "Actually no, this plan sucks."

Nobody did. And I couldn't make their choices for them. If they thought we should give it a go, then…

"We'll give it a try." I said reluctantly.

Jeb nodded and lifted up a baseball cap. "In that case, each take one of these papers. It's the location of the safe house you'll be at. Gazzy and Angel, you two will be staying together."

I couldn't help but feel slightly relieved as Nudge took the cap from Jeb. At least two of us would be together.

Nudge lifted out a scrap of paper and unfolded it.

"Omg! I'm going to San Diego! Max, I'm going to California!"

Gazzy took the hat from her and chose one at random. Unfolding it he said, "Bridgeview, Minnesota. Why does Nudge get a big city and we get a place no one's heard of?"

"We tried to mix the area's population. If you all lived in big cities or all in small towns then it would be easier to locate you all." Jeb explained.

Iggy took the next piece and Gazzy read it out. "You're going to Denver, Colorado."

Angel passed the cap to me and I unfolded one.

"Forks, Washington." I said. I quickly sketched a map in my head. Washington was relatively close to California, Minnesota and Colorado. A few hours flight, a day at most.

I passed the cap to Fang. He unfolded the last one.

"Blackstone." He said after a moment.

Everyone burst out laughing. There couldn't be a more suitable place for Fang.

I was the only one who didn't laugh. I was the only one who noticed the small frown, the tightening around his eyes.

"Where is it?"

He looked up at me. "Florida."

**In character? Too slow? Review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

We'd spent the last week together at my mom's house, taking pictures. It was Nudge's idea, and my mom's camera. We'd gone to the park and into the city, brought the camera into the woods, into the sky and to dinner. I didn't think there was a moment of our lives that week that hadn't been documented in photos.

My mom printed them and copied them so we each had copies. Jeb hadn't liked the idea, but didn't tell us anything except to guard them very carefully. They were proof of what we were, if they were found the plan was over.

Then there was the goodbye. I don't think anyone of us believed it was really happening until then. There were lots of hugs and promises to call each other when we arrived at our safe houses.

We each got into different cars, and the flock was officially broken up.

Guess who I got stuck with to drive me to the airport?

"You'll be going to the local school in Forks." Jeb said from the driver's seat.

"Because the last time we went to school ended so well." I said.

"You'll have to blend in with the community, Max. That means staying under the radar. No fighting, no making enemies…" Jeb glanced at me. "and, I'm afraid to say, no flying."

…

"What!" My shout hurt my own ears.

"Max, I'm sorry, but if you were spotted then it could ruin everything. Itex will be looking for any sightings of you."

"Are you insane? You're telling me that I'm not allowed to fly! Why don't you just chain me to my seat."

"Max-"

"No, this is stupid-"

"Max, we're being tailed."

"Jeb, this is-" I stopped and looked in the mirror.

"There's nothing behind us." I said.

"It's a black vehicle that always comes into sight just before we turn."

We turned, and I saw a black car just as we lost sight of the last road.

"Crap. What do we do?"

"We lose them."

"How do we-" I got out before Jeb stepped on the gas.

My head hit the headrest as we accelerated. Jeb swerved around the car in front of us and increased speed.

"I didn't expect Itex to move against you this soon." He muttered as the black car appeared behind us again.

Jeb turned onto the highway leading to the airport and floored it.

I looked to see the black car do the same behind us.

"They're gaining." I informed him.

Jeb glanced in the rear-view mirror. "We need to lose them before we get to the airport."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" I asked.

Jeb opened the glove compartment. "Have you ever shot out someone's tyres before?" He asked, handing me a gun.

I looked at him, then at the gun, then at the car behind us.

"How do we even know they're from Itex?" I asked.

The back window of our car cracked. I ducked and glanced back to see a guy aiming a gun at us out of their window.

"Well, I guess that answers my question." I rolled down the window and stuck my head out, aiming the gun.

I had a second to wonder if there were even bullets in this gun before I pulled the trigger. I dented their bumper and the force from the shot I fired, along with Jeb swerving, knocked me back into the car. Just before a bullet hit my side mirror and shattered it.

"How's it going?" Jeb asked over the sound of more bullets hitting our car. The rear window shattered.

"I feel like I should be in an action movie." I replied before trying once again to shoot out their tyres.

My third shot struck home. Their car swerved to the side before crashing into the side of the road.

Jeb dodged around another car.

"Can you slow down?" I asked, rolling up my window and placing the gun carefully back into the glove compartment. "My awesome movie moment will be ruined if we crash and die right after beating the bad guys."

Jeb glanced behind us before grudgingly slowing down.

The rest of the trip was silent until we got to the airport.

"You'll take a plane to Seattle, where you'll meet someone from the Witness Protection Program." Jeb explained, looking for somewhere to park. "You'll spend a few weeks with them, sorting out your new identity. Then they'll take you to your safe house."

"And I'm not allowed to fly."

Jeb glanced at me. He'd heard that particular tone of voice from me before. It was the tone I reserved for orders I received, understood, and had absolutely no intention of following. "Please, Max."

"It's for the flock's safety." He urged.

_Dammit_. I didn't answer. I rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand, sighed and pointedly looked out the window.

Jeb relaxed, knowing I wouldn't do anything to put the flock in danger. "Thank you."

"I'll follow your stupid rule." I said harshly. "But if this thing goes south, I'll be 500 feet in the air before you can say 'up and away'"

Jeb smiled, parking the car. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

><p>"Are you ready for this?" Helen, my assigned agent in the Witness Protection, asked. She was the one who had been 'training' me for the past two weeks, ensuring that my new identity was firmly ingrained into my skull.<p>

"As I'll ever be."

"What's your name?" she asked.

I sighed in exasperation. "Isabella Swan. Bella for short." I was sick of being asked these questions. If anyone in this town asked me my name, I couldn't promise that no one would be hurt.

"Why did you move to Forks?"

"I have a weird fetish for towns named after cutlery."

Helen gave me a dry look. The people in this program have a serious grudge against humour.

I sighed again and prattled off my new life story. "My parents, Charlie and Renee, divorced. I lived with my mom in Phoenix. She remarried and wanted to travel around with her new husband, Phil, who plays minor league baseball."

Seriously, who thought up these stories? Helen nodded for me to continue.

"To make her happy, I decided to move in with my Dad, Charlie Swan, Police Chief of the small town Forks."

Helen smiled. "I think you're ready."

She accompanied me on the flight to Port Angeles, where she would hand me over to my 'keeper' Chief Swan, who would watch over me and inform his superiors if anything happened.

"Chief Swan." Helen greeted him when we got off the plane.

"Agent McCarthy." They shook hands.

"I'd like you to meet your new charge." Helen said. "This is Max, or Bella, as it were."

"Hello, Max." He said, shaking my hand.

"Chief Swan." I said. Don't look so shocked, I can be polite when I want to be.

"Call me Charlie."

Helen left us then, and me and Charlie started the drive 'home'.

"I found a car for you. Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy."

"You didn't have to do that." I said awkwardly, but I was suddenly thankful that the agency had given me a few driving lessons. Just enough so I wouldn't crash the car into a tree.

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy during your stay."

"I appreciate it. Thanks." No need to inform him that the chances of me being happy without the flock were slim to none.

"Well, now, you're welcome." Charlie mumbled. I got the impression he wasn't one for expressing his emotions. I also got the feeling that we'd get on real good because of that.

I looked out the window while we drove. The scenery was beautiful. Everything was green: the trees, their trunks, the branches, the ground. Even the air was tinted green as it filtered down through the leaves.

It started to look creepy after a while.

After spending the first part of my life in the School, where everything was white and steel, then at the E-house, where everything was desert, sandy and brown, and then in the cities…this much green was a new experience.

We arrived at Charlie's house…_m_y house. It was fairly small. A truck was parked out front, a faded red colour, looking very old. I liked it though, and told Charlie as much, thanking him again.

"I'm glad you like it." He said gruffly, embarrassed.

Charlie helped me bring my stuff into the house –there wasn't much of it- and led me to a small bedroom that faced out over the front yard. There was a rocking chair in one corner of the room, a single bed in another and a dinosaur computer on the desk.

"The bathroom is down the hall." Charlie said.

I looked around the room. "Do you actually have a daughter named Bella?" I asked.

"Yes, she lives in Phoenix with her mother. This was her room when she visited, but she didn't like the wet weather, so I visit them now, instead."

I glanced at him, and he must have seen the question on my face.

"Well, when a friend mentioned that some kids might need a safe house, I figured it wouldn't hurt anybody if I helped out." He shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.

I nodded and dropped the subject. He left me alone to unpack and get settled.

It was nice to finally be alone. For those two weeks at the agency in Seattle I was almost never left on my own.

After I'd unpacked my clothes I went to the bathroom to clean up a bit after the journey.

I looked at my face in the mirror. Maybe it was just the light, but my cheeks looked sallower, unhealthy. I looked paler, ivory skinned. Looked like my tan had faded during the rainy weeks I spent Seattle.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, my third one since I left Arizona. Each member of the flock would receive a new phone every week and the old ones would be disposed of.

I opened up the new message.

_From: Fang_

_How's it goin?_

I headed back to my room while answering.

_I already feel like quitting_

I lay down on the bed while waiting for the reply. It started raining.

_We __could. _Came Fangs simple message.

I seriously considered it. We _could_. We could all leave right now, synchronize our escape. We were only on week three and already I felt sick from missing the flock.

But after the car chase I couldn't deny that we were in danger. Maybe this was the safest option.

_We__'__ll __see __how __it __goes. _I sent back.

I curled up on the bed and tried not to think about how much I missed my family. We spoke everyday on the phones, but we all knew it wasn't the same.

I drifted into a fitful sleep, trying to block out the constant whooshing sound the rain and wind made on the roof.

**Woo, second chapter!**

**Tell me what you think, story plot, character portrayal, etc. :D**

**A box of magical rainbow cookies for everyone who reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Why the hell was the rain so _loud?_ It's as if the house was specifically designed so every aspect of it would amplify the innocent sound of raindrops into the collision of supersonic bullets on steel! How was anyone supposed to think, let alone sleep?

I dragged myself out of bed in the morning to find that the deafening rain had been replaced with a thick blanket of fog.

I pried the rusted window open and tried to make out the front yard. The fog muffled all noise, making it feel like you had cotton wool stuffed into your ears.

My wings itched to be stretched, but I tightened them against my back and headed downstairs.

Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet affair. He wished me luck at school before heading to work, leaving me to sit at the table and think.

I was surprised to find that I was kind of nervous. I'd spent weeks preparing for this moment, entering a new life. I reviewed my identity in my head.

My name is Bella Swan, my parents are Charlie and Renee…

Helen had told me to try andmake it sound believable.

"If it helps, try to pretend you're in a play." She'd said.

"A play that goes on indefinitely?" I'd asked.

She'd smiled and said, "If you find it hard staying in character at first, think of a habit or mannerism that's continuous, like playing with your hair or having bad balance. Something to make your character come to life for you. Soon you'll find it becomes second nature."

I hadn't really thought of any options other than the examples she'd given me, and I was _not_ going to start playing with my hair. So clumsiness it was then.

I walked to the car, tripping once or twice to get into character.

_This is stupid_, I thought, and almost turned around.

It was nice and dry inside the truck. I started the engine and flinched at the thunderous noise it made. I hoped like hell it wasn't that loud to human ears.

I drove carefully, taking the directions Charlie had given me. The school wasn't hard to find, although it looked nothing like any school I'd seen. Granted I hadn't seen many.

I parked outside the first building, which had 'FRONT OFFICE' on the sign over the door. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck, and was grateful when I entered the warm office. Potted plants were placed everywhere, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside.

The play was about to begin. I hoped like hell that I had some hidden acting talent.

Behind the counter a red-haired woman looked up from her desk. "Can I help you?"

Act One, Scene One. "I'm Isabella Swan."

The woman's eyes lit in recognition. Looks like Charlie had called ahead about his 'daughter' coming to school. At least I wouldn't have to spend the day explaining who I was.

"Of course." she said. She dug through a stack of papers. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school."

She went through them with me and gave me a slip for all of my teachers to sign. She, like Charlie, hoped that I would be happy here in Forks. I was pretty sure that my smile was more of a grimace.

People were starting to arrive when I came back to my truck. I followed the line of traffic around to the student lot and cut off the roaring engine as soon as possible.

I memorized the map and schedule in five minutes and stuffed it into my bag. Then figured that knowing the layout of the school off by heart wasn't exactly normal for my first day, and stuffed them in my pocket instead.

New girl=not knowing where to go. That was normal, right?

"I could always say I have a photographic memory." I muttered to myself.

_That's hardly blending in, Maximum._ The Voice chimed in.

I groaned and thumped my head on the steering wheel, luckily not hitting the horn.

If there was one thing that would force me to remember who I really was, it was the annoying voice in my head that only I could hear.

Just another thing I'd have to suppress to pass as a normal human being.

I took a deep breath and left the truck, striding to where I knew building three was.

_That's not in character, Max._ the Voice said. _What about your newly acquired balance problem?_

_I don't need your help._ I snarled at it, but slowed my pace just the same.

I entered the small classroom and took the slip up to the teacher, Mr. Mason, according to his nameplate.

He sent me to an empty seat at the back, without introducing me to the class.

Every time I looked up I'd meet a pair of curious eyes staring at me. I figured my character would not be the type to stare them down or give them death glares, so I kept my eyes down for the rest of the class.

When the bell rang, a gangly boy with black hair and skin problems leaned across the aisle to talk to me.

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?"

No, I'm the Easter Bunny, can't you tell? I took a deep breathe. What would Bella Swan do? "Bella." I said.

"Where's your next class?" he asked.

I stopped myself from reciting what I'd memorized in the truck and checked my schedule instead. "Government, with Jefferson, in building six."

"I'm headed toward building four, I could show you the way…I'm Eric." He added.

I plastered a smile to my face. "Thanks."

As we left the classroom I could feel people behind us walking close enough to eavesdrop. My paranoia and claustrophobia started to kick in.

"So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" Eric asked.

Keep things simple and short. "Very."

"It doesn't rain much there, does it?"

Make something up. "Three or four times a year."

"Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered.

I bit back a smart remark. Bella Swan does not make sarcastic remarks at the expense of others.

"Sunny," was my innocent reply.

"You don't look very tan."

I couldn't hold it back any longer. "My mother is part albino."

He studied my face apprehensively, and I sighed. I allow myself the first bit of sarcasm in days and there's no one around who gets it.

God, I missed the flock.

He wished me luck when we arrived at my class. "Maybe we'll have some more classes together." He said hopefully as I turned to leave.

_And maybe I'll get some teeth pulled while I'm at it._

The rest of the morning passed like that. The Trigonometry teacher was the only one to make me stand up and introduce myself. I practiced my acting by stammering, then tripping on the way to my seat.

I started to recognize several faces in each class. One girl sat beside me in both Trig and Spanish. She was short, several inches shorter than me. Then again, I was taller than most people.

She walked with me to the cafeteria, prattling about teachers and classes. I tuned her out, smiling and nodding occasionally.

We sat at a table with several of her friends. She introduced them and I immediately forgot all of their names. I was grateful when the conversation moved on to something that wasn't me.

I glanced around the cafeteria, and that's when I saw them.

_Erasers_. I tensed and got ready to run for it when they went for me.

But they didn't. I looked closer.

There were five of them, three male and two female. They were seated in the corner the furthest from where I was.

They looked like a group of models, perfectly beautiful. Inhumanly so. But they were pale. Most Erasers had an even tan that celebrities would kill for, but these Erasers were chalky white.

Maybe it was a design flaw. To add more strength the Whitecoats had to take away skin pigment…or something.

I narrowed my eyes as I studied them, still ready to jump for the nearest window when they looked at me.

They didn't look at me. They were the only ones in the room who weren't sneaking peaks at me.

As far as I could tell, they weren't looking at anything. Not at each other, not at other students.

I noticed that, as they seemed to be ignoring everyone else, everyone else was ignoring them. No one seemed to be wondering why a group of models were sitting in the cafeteria.

Maybe I was the only one who could see them.

Then I saw the trays of food in front of them, and I realized. They were _students._

I dragged in a ragged breathe. I'd stopped breathing when I'd seen them.

As I watched, one of the females, the smaller one –which was strange, most Erasers were tall and broad to give them more room for muscle- rose from her seat.

I tensed further, rising slightly from my chair, calculating my speed and hers, the distance to the door, time to unfurl my wings-

But she walked away. No, her walk was more of a lope, typical of Erasers.

She left the room. My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unmoved.

They had to be Erasers, everything about them fit. But if they were students…

Was this one of Itex's tricks? Put a group of Erasers in school with me to actas spies?

"Who are they?" I asked the girl beside me, who's name I'd forgotten.

As my neighbour looked up, so did one of them, a male from the group. He looked at her, then at me, and then looked down again. At no point did his face show recognition, aggression, or even interest. As if he'd heard his name being called and looked up automatically.

"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen." The girl told me under her breath, "and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left is Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife."

_Dr._ Cullen. Was he an actual doctor or a scientist? Maybe they had a parent who worked for Itex, and he used them to experiment on. I could so relate.

The youngest male, the one who'd looked up, was speaking. I couldn't make anything out over the noise from everyone else, but by the movement of his lips he was talking faster than I was used to.

Odd names, I thought. Unusual. Not in the sense that the flock's names were unusual. Our names we made up ourselves, but their names were just…unpopular. I remembered the girl beside me was named Jessica.

She could see them, which meant they weren't invisible. (Or a figment of my imagination. Jeez, I didn't want _that_ to start happening again.)

Maybe we weren't seeing the same thing.

"They're very…nice-looking." I said, testing if she would react to the colossal understatement.

"Yes!" she agreed enthusiastically. I took that as confirmation that we were seeing the same thing.

"They're all _together _though –Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they_ live_ together."

Either they were actually students, or Itex put _a lot_ of thought into this. "Which ones are the Cullens? They don't look related…" You'd think that Itex would've thought of that.

"Oh, they're not. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales _are_ brother and sister, twins –the blondes- and they're foster children."

I was shocked at how similar their story was to the flock's cover story. A bunch of unrelated kids, all adopted, with two of them –the two blondes- the only ones who were related. Granted, Gazzy and Angel aren't twins.

"Have they always lived in Forks?" I readied myself for the_: No, they've only been here a month or so._

"No." Here it comes. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."

Wait, if they've been here two years, there's no way Itex could've known I'd be here. Unless they can see into the future…

One of the Cullens looked up and met my gaze.

Shit. I was assuming that these guys weren't human, so I had no way of knowing how good their hearing was. They probably heard the whole conversation. Well, in for a penny…

"Which one is the boy with the reddish brown hair?" I asked.

I glanced at him again. He had a…not an aggressive look, more…frustrated, or confused.

"That's Edward. He's gorgeous, of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date."

I almost choked on my own spit. She thought I was interested in _that_ way?

Well, I guess it was better letting her assume that then telling her the truth; that I was worried they were recombinant mutants built solely to either kill me or haul me back to my personal hell, a secret evil science lab where I'd grown up in a dog crate.

Yeah, I could see that going down _real_ well.

"Apparently," she went on. "None of the girls here are good-looking enough for him." She sniffed, and I bit back a smile. I wondered when he'd turned her down.

A few minutes later, the rest of them left the cafeteria. They all had the same unnerving grace. I was convinced they weren't human. How could no one else see it?

I walked to my next class with a girl who considerately reminded me that her name was Angela. She was the first person who hadn't bombarded me with questions, and I liked her for that.

When we entered the classroom, Angela went to take her seat. There was only one table that wasn't full.

I recognized Edward Cullen sitting next to the single empty seat.

I kept my eyes on him as I went to get my slip signed. He went rigid in his seat as I passed. His eyes met mine, and I finally saw what I'd been looking for earlier.

His expression was hostile, furious.

I managed to keep walking. As the teacher, Mr. Banner, signed my slip I argued with myself about what to do.

I should run, make a break for it. But he hadn't attacked. Yet.

I could make an excuse to the teacher, say I was suddenly ill.

Mr. Banner sent me to the spare seat. I made a snap decision. I would sit next to him. If he even so much as twitched in my direction, I'd send him flying through the window.

But until then, I'd act like any other normal person. I'd act like Bella Swan.

I didn't look up as I sat next to him, but I was highly aware of his movements.

And he did the opposite of what I'd expected. He leaned _away_ from me. As if he was trying to get away from me.

Everything about these guys confused me.

All through the class, neither of us relaxed. I could see his fist clenched on his leg. By the look of the tendons standing out under his skin, this guy would be a fair challenge in a fight.

We both sat still as stone, and I knew he was as aware of me as I was of him.

I glanced at him once more. He was glaring down at me with the blackest eyes. I sent my own death glare back, preparing to enter the most vicious staring competition in history.

At that moment, the bell rang loudly. I was all for carrying on our glaring contest, but I guess he had other ideas. He was up and out of the door before anyone else was out of their seat.

Definitely not human. I started gathering my things slowly, ready for him or one of his 'family' to leap back into the room.

"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" a boy asked.

My new name snapped me back to reality. I'd almost forgotten I was pretending to be someone else. Time to jump back onto the stage.

"Bella." I corrected him.

He introduced himself as Mike. "Do you need any help finding your next class?"

I was starting to get sick of people asking me if I needed help. The next person who did, and it would be _them_ who wouldneed help.

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."

"That's my next class, too." Oh, great.

We walked to class together. He did most of the talking. He was actually kind of nice, reminding me a lot of Sam in Virginia. As long as he didn't start to look furry around the edges, we'd have no problem.

As we entered the gym, he asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that."

So, apparently that wasn't how Edward Cullen normally acted. I decided to play dumb.

"Was that the boy I sat next to in Biology?"

"Yes." he said. "He looked like he was in pain or something."

_In pain_. That was a new theory. "I don't know. I never spoke to him."

"He's a weird guy." Mike said. "If I was lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."

I smiled at him, or triedto at least, before going into the girl's locker room.

The gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform but didn't make me take part for that day's class.

I watched the others play, looking forward to my next gym class. This was one thing that I knew I was good at, and that I would enjoy.

_Aren't you forgetting something, Max?_ The Voice popped up. _What would Bella do? _

It took me a second to catch on, and I almost groaned. I'd forgotten about my 'balance problem'. I would have to pretend to be bad at sports.

It was only the first day, I reasoned. I could still change my new characteristic.

_Wouldn't that be quitting, Max?_ The Voice said.

I gritted my teeth.

* * *

><p>The final bell rang and I headed back to the front office.<p>

When I walked into the dry office, I promptly decided that fate hated me.

Edward Cullen stood at the desk, arguing with the receptionist in a low, attractive voice. A voice like honey.

_Eraser_, I thought for the umpteenth time.

I picked up the gist of the argument. He was trying to change his Biology class to a different time.

So he _was_ trying to get away from me.

The door opened. A girl walked in, placed a piece of paper on the desk, and left again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened.

He turned slowly to glare at me.

_Here we go again,_ I thought, glaring back.

But he turned away, back to the receptionist. "Never mind, then. I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help."

Without looking at me he walked out of the door.

"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked when I handed over the signed slip.

"Fine." I lied.

I headed back to Charlie's house. Boy did I have a story for the flock.

**Sorry for the ridiculously long wait.**

** So review and tell me what you think. Plot pace, Max as Bella, any future events you'd like to happen. I'd love to hear them :D**

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

I almost didn't go to school the next day, but the Voice happily reminded me that missing your second day of school wasn't the way to blend in.

At least there were less people staring at me today. I was grateful for that, because I didn't think I had the energy to keep up the character of Bella Swan the entire time.

I hadn't slept much the night before -again. The rain seemed to be in competition with the wind over which could bang louder against the house.

My tiredness disappeared, though, when I entered the cafeteria at lunchtime. My eyes swept the room until I found them. Four of the potential Erasers, the Cullens, were sitting at a table across the room, but the one from Biology, Edward, was nowhere in sight.

I did a quick 360, but he wasn't in the room. I followed Jessica to her table and we were joined by her friends. I ignored their conversation for the most part, only contributing the occasional 'yeah' and 'hmm'. I kept my eyes on the doors and windows, waiting for Edward to arrive. I got more and more tense, but when lunch ended he still hadn't shown up.

I walked to Biology and again my eyes swept the room, but Edward wasn't there. The class started and I relaxed, finally accepting that he wasn't going to jump out and rip open my throat.

The rest of the day passed quickly, if not a bit unpleasantly. I gave the wrong answer in Trig -unsurprisingly- and then had to endure a whole class of pretending to be bad at volleyball. My anger grew with the Voice constantly nagging me to 'blend in' every time I forgot to act clumsy. I vented my frustration by "accidently" hitting someone in the head.

When the day was finally over I trudged to my truck. I was pulling out of the parking lot when I saw the Cullens getting into their car. I had yet to see them interacting with anyone in the school other than each other. Their isolation was definitely preferred by them. But if they weren't human, which I was positive they weren't, why did they do such a sucky job of blending in?

I texted each of the flock when I got back to Charlie's. Nudge was doing really well, already having sleepovers with her newly acquired friends. Iggy had quickly taken over the cooking in the house he was staying in. Fang said he was fine, and Angel said that Gazzy was causing trouble at school, prompting me to call him and give out.

"Come on," he complained on the phone. "I think I've found my untapped artistic talent."

"I don't care if you've discovered you can paint masterpieces with a brush up your nose. The teachers' bathroom is no place for paint bombs!"

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it. We have to keep a low profile. That means no more pranks, Gazzy. Understand?"

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled.

I had a feeling that this wasn't the last of this argument, but I let it go for now.

None of the flock had reported seeing Eraser-like people in their school. Whatever the Cullens were, they only seemed to be in Forks, which I was relieved about. Now I could focus on finding out what exactly the Cullens were.

_Is that wise, Max?_ The Voice chimed in. _They seem to be leaving you alone. It might not be sensible to get yourself involved._

I ignored it. I had to at least dig a little. If I knew what they were I would be able to guess if they were a danger or not. And I had the perfect opportunity that night at dinner.

"So, how did you like school?" Charlie asked while we ate. "Have you made any new friends?"

I shrugged. "A few people. Some girl named Jessica, and a guy, Mike."

"That must be Mike Newton. Nice boy- nice family."

I glanced at Charlie. Best to start with an innocent enough question.

"Do you know the Cullen family?"

"Dr Cullen's family? Sure. Dr Cullen's a great man."

A great man. Some would describe Ter Borcht as 'a great man'.

I wasn't sure how to get the information I wanted without raising Charlie's suspicion.

"They…the kids…are a little…different. They don't seem to fit in."

Charlie surprised me by looking angry.

"People in this town. Dr Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could work at any hospital, make ten times the salary he does here. We're lucky to have him, and all those kids are well behaved. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived here for generations. And they stick together the way a family should –camping trips every other weekend. Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

Camping trips? No person who spent that much time outside would be as pale as they were. But they seemed to know more about blending in than I had given them credit for. They seemed to keep a flawlessly low profile.

I shrugged, trying to backtrack and change the subject.

"They seemed nice enough. I just noticed they kept to themselves." I hesitated before asking another question that I had been thinking about for a while. "Is there any chance of me going flying tonight?"

I knew the answer before I finished speaking.

Charlie looked pained and uncomfortable.

"I don't think that would be a smart move. Even if this place isn't lit up at night like a city, if anyone saw you…We have to stick to the rules the Witness Protection laid out. For safety's sake. I'm sorry, Max."

I started at the sound of my real name. I hadn't heard anyone call me that since I had left the flock, weeks ago. Loneliness swept over me like a bucket of ice-water.

I nodded at Charlie and spent the rest of dinner pushing food around my plate.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I got into a routine. Each day I would watch the Cullens for any change in behaviour, but they never showed any interest in me. I finally started thinking that maybe no one at this school wanted to kill me. Which was a unexpected relief.

The rain had quieted down, but I was still having trouble sleeping. I was always just awake enough to feel myself tossing restlessly in bed.

The weekend dragged by. I missed the flock despite texting them every night. But more than anything I missed flying. Without school to force me to act as Bella Swan, I had nothing to distract me from the ache in my wings.

I tried stretching them at least once a day in my mouse-box bedroom, but it wasn't the same. Muscles ached to be used and I was forced to ignore them.

Monday came, and with it came snow. I spent the day dodging snowballs thrown by my new friends. Or, more like Bella's new friends.

The snow reminded me of the time the flock had spent in Antarctica. None of these snowball fights could compare to the snow-battle the flock had had 300 feet in the air.

I did allow myself a moment of fun by hitting Mike in the head with a snowball, then moving so fast that by the time he turned around, he thought it had been Eric who'd hit him.

I smirked as Eric received Mike's falsely-placed revenge.

My good mood vanished though, when I walked into the cafeteria. There were five Cullens at their table.

My eyes darted around. Maybe they had something planned, that's why one of them had left-

I shook my head. All I knew for sure was that they weren't human. It was obvious they were dangerous, but so were me and the flock, technically.

I watched them from the corner of my eye and acted normal. I could hear laughter from their table and glanced over.

My eyes met Edward's and I looked away.

I got more and more anxious about Biology class, and then mentally slapped myself. How many bloodthirsty Erasers had I made whimper in pain? I could handle one of...whatever the heck the Cullens were.

I was the first to get to class. I slid into my chair as the teacher left a microscope and slides on the table. I slouched in my seat and drew on my book as the room filled up.

I didn't look up when the chair next to me moved.

"Hello."

There was that honey-like Eraser voice.

I glanced up with a face full of distrust. The look would discourage most people form pursuing further conversation.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. This guy was either brave or stupid. "I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan."

I raised an eyebrow, making it clear that I didn't believe his bull about not 'getting a chance'.

I didn't answer, just turned to face the front of the class.

The teacher explained today's lesson. Something about mitosis in plants. I knew it would be easy. Growing up in the School, you learn a lot about science.

What wouldn't be easy would be partnering up with Edward. I had planned to ignore him and keep away from him. So much for that plan.

"Ladies first, partner?" he said.

I glanced at him with half a glare, half a 'get me out of here' look.

"Or I could start, if you wish." The smile he had had on his face faded, and then I felt bad.

He was obviously trying to be nice, even if it was just a trick to get me to drop my guard.

I sighed and dragged the microscope over to me.

I studied the slide briefly. "Prophase."

"Do you mind if I look?" He caught my wrist as I was removing the slide. His fingers were ice-cold and I jerked from the shock.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand away. I watched him as he examined the slide and confirmed my result.

We did the other slides and were finished before anyone else. I looked around and then glanced at Edward. He was staring at me and had that frustrated look on his face again. We analysed each other for a moment before I spoke.

"Did you get contacts?"

He looked puzzled. "No."

"Your eyes are different." I didn't mean to sound as accusatory as I did.

He shrugged, and looked away. I had obviously found one of the things that made them different from humans.

I remembered the pitch black of his eyes that last time I had been this close to him, but this time they were a yellow-gold. I started going through all the creatures I knew of to find any that changed eye colour.

"It's too bad about the snow, isn't it?" he said, breaking me out of my thoughts. Man, this guy was talkative today.

"I guess."

"You don't like the cold." It wasn't a question.

I thought of the Arizona heat, where I had last seen the flock. I pictured us flying, higher into the cooler air, through the clouds that made your clothes soggy…

"Or the wet."

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

"You have no idea," I said darkly. My wings started to ache as a reminder of how long they had been denied flight.

"Why did you come here, then?"

No one had asked me that, not in such a demanding way. I thought of Itex, of how Jeb and I had been attacked on the way to the airport, making it clear the danger the flock was in.

"It's complicated."

He smiled. "I think I can keep up."

I sighed and launched into the cover story that had been drilled into my head.

I told him about my made-up mother's remarriage, about 'Phil', my made-up stepfather, and his inconvenient made-up job.

"And you mother sent you here so that she could travel with him," he surmised.

"No, she did not send me here. I sent myself." It was technically true. I loved my mother, but she couldn't tell me to do anything I didn't want to.

"But now you're unhappy," he pointed out.

"And?" I challenged.

"That doesn't seem fair," he shrugged.

I laughed without humour, thinking of all the injustice I'd experienced. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair."

"I believe I _have_ heard that somewhere," he agreed dryly.

I shrugged. "So that's all."

"You put on a good show. But I'd be willing to bet that you're suffering more than you let anyone see."

I grimaced and looked away.

"Am I wrong?"

I ignored him.

"I didn't think so," he murmured smugly.

Anger rose up in me. "Why does it matter to you?"

"That's a very good question," he said quietly.

I sighed and ignored him for the rest of the class. When the bell rang, Edward got swiftly to his feet, but I had been ready.

I cut him off on his way to the door, and breezed out of the class.

**I know that this story is following the book very closely, but it's necessary to get the story where it needs to be.  
><strong>

**The plot will veer off in later chapters, to include Itex, the flock and...other stuff. But that's a surprise. :D**

**Hope you enjoyed it. Leave a review to tell me what you think and if you have any suggestions.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"So how are you liking the sun, Florida boy?" I asked Fang on my disposable cell phone. I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder, needing both my hands to scrape the black, charred lump that used to be dinner from the pot into the garbage.

Charlie had gone out to get something ready-made and edible, still laughing at my appalling attempt at making dinner. I made a note to apologize to him again when he came back, because from the looks of it, his pot could not be saved.

"It's fine," Fang answered. Out of the flock, Fang was the hardest to talk to on the phone. We were missing the subtle body language that made up most of our silent communication. But I could still sense frustration in his tone.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Not flying is driving me nuts," He said.

That was a bit of an understatement. It was like stating that having no oxygen was a slight inconvenience.

"Yeah, I get it. The others are feeling the same. It's like an itch that gets worse if it's not scratched."

"Any news on the Maybe-Erasers?" he asked.

"The one I'm sitting next to in biology talked to me today. He seems like a perfectly nice person, if you ignore the fact that he's obviously built for killing things. But I'm almost positive they're not Erasers."

"Maybe Itex is trying a new brand of mutant weapons."

"I don't think so," I said as I dropped the whole pot into the bin, giving up on my pathetic attempt to salvage it from my Adventure in the Kitchen. "The more I learn about them, the more I'm sure they're not from Itex."

"Still, don't drop your guard," Fang said.

I heard the front door open and Charlie come in with two shopping bags. "Like I need reminding. I gotta go, edible food has just arrived."

"Don't burn that too," Fang said, and hung up before I could react to his comment.

I woke the next day to snow and ice. Big surprise there. Charlie had left for work before I got downstairs. I stood by the window and looked out as I ate my cereal, examining the ice apprehensively.

_This is a perfect time to practice your bad balance, Max,_ the Voice stated.

I ignored it. It wasn't walking I was worried about. While I'd never say it in front of Fang, my confidence in my driving skills was not as strong as I let on. I had never driven on ice before, and while it may sound surprising, I had no particular urge to kill anyone that day.

_Take it slow and you'll be fine,_ the Voice gave a rare piece of useful and comforting advice.

The drive to school was easier than expected. The truck handled the road as if there was no ice at all. When I parked at school and got out I saw why. On the tires there were thin chains crisscrossed on them. I walked to the back of the truck to examine the them, staring at the snow chains.

It could only have been Charlie. How early had he gotten up to put these on? I felt a sudden wave of emotion towards the reserved man who was my "keeper". I'd only known him a short while, he was practically a stranger, and yet he was concerned about me, about such a little detail.

Back when Jeb was like a father, he'd taught me how to fight, how to survive. I'd only ever known a father who taught me how not to die. I'd never had a father that cared if I scraped a knee or slipped on ice. It was a really nice feeling.

I heard a high-pitched screech and looked up, startled.

A dark blue van was skidding across the ice toward me. Some moron who couldn't drive. Or someone without a concerned parent figure, I thought with more than a little contentment.

I didn't panic. I just bunched my muscles in readiness to jump out of the way. The thought didn't even cross my mind that using not-so-human speed and reflexes in the middle of the school parking lot may not be the best way to blend in. Thoughts like that usually take a back seat when two tonnes of metal are heading straight for you.

I braced myself and leapt, jumping up onto the van and landing smoothly on its hood as it hit the back of my truck.

Or at least, that had been my plan.

Instead, my feet had barely left the ground before something crashed into me from the other direction.

My head cracked against the icy blacktop. The van grated around the end of the truck and slid toward where I was lying. A low oath drew my attention, and two white hands shot out in front of me, stopping the van and leaving dents in its side. I was spun around as the van crashed to the ground, glass shattering, right where my legs had been.

There was a moment of silence before everyone started screaming, which was really annoying. I looked up at Edward Cullen as he asked if I was alright in a low, frantic voice.

"I'm fine," I said, trying to get up, but he kept me down, which only made me more annoyed.

"How did you get over here so fast?" I asked, only to annoy him in return. I knew how he got over here, and I knew he didn't want anyone else to know.

"I was standing right next to you, Bella," he said, releasing me and letting me sit up.

Everyone was still shouting. It was all so messy. I tried to get up, but Edward stopped me again. "Just stay put for now."

My annoyance with him spiked again. "You were over there. You were by your car."

His expression turned hard. "No, I wasn't."

"I saw you." All around us was chaos, and I just wanted to get away from it.

"Bella, I was standing right next to you, and I pulled you out of the way."

_Play along, Max,_ the Voice chimed in.

"No." I wasn't going to play his game. I hadn't asked him to get involved; I had had everything under control.

"Please, Bella," Edward pleaded.

_You owe him your life,_ the Voice said.

"Fine," I answered.

The hospital was the worst. They wouldn't let me walk in on my own, and the whole place reeked of chemicals. I almost panicked when they wanted to x-ray me, thinking that they might be curious if they saw I had two more limbs than the average teenager, but it was only my head they wanted to examine. Luckily, no one wanted to draw my blood. Other than that it was really just a lot of waiting around.

Eventually, Edward came around. I had been wondering when he'd turn up.

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked me.

"There's nothing wrong with me at all, but they won't let me go. How come you're not strapped to a gurney?

He smiled. "It's all about who you know. But don't worry, I came to spring you."

I wondered at how friendly he was acting, but was distracted when the doctor walked in. I instantly knew who he was. He was as good-looking as the rest of the Cullens, with the same honey voice.

"So, Miss Swan, how are you feeling?" Dr Cullen asked.

"I'm fine," I said.

He examined my head gently and told me to take something if my head hurt. When he turned his attention to Tyler, the guy who had been driving the van, I turned mine to Edward. "I'd like to speak to you alone, if you don't mind," I said.

He glared, suddenly not so friendly, but turned and stepped into the hallway, with me close behind. He spun to face me. "What do you want?" he asked.

To annoy you. "You owe me an explanation."

"I saved your life –I don't owe you anything."

_He makes a good point,_ the Voice stated.

I internally rolled my eyes. He didn't save my life; he only made everything a lot messier than it had to be. We glared at each other for a moment.

"What do you want from me, Bella?" he asked eventually.

"I want to know the truth, I want to know why I'm lying for you."

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

"Thank you," I said in the least grateful tone I could manage.

"You're not going to let it go, are you?"

"No." We scowled at each other for another while. "Why did you even bother?" I finally asked, and realized it was the question that was the source of my annoyance.

His scowl fell. "I don't know," he said, in an almost confused manner, before walking away.

I obsessed over my own question for the rest of the day. Why did he do it? He had obviously been trying to protect me, even if it was the clumsiest attempt I had ever been unfortunate enough to witness. But why?

The more I learned about them, the more the Cullens seemed like the flock. Hiding a secret of what they were, just trying to blend in and lead a normal life. So why risk their secret for a stranger? Why was I so important?

I leaned against the window and stared out at the night, seeing only my own reflection on the glass. Whatever the reason, Edward was right. He owed me nothing. Because of him risking his secret, he'd saved me from exposing my own. I was the one who owed him.

I grimaced and thumped my head against the window. "Damn it."

**Wow, it's been a long time! Hope you enjoyed it. Review and tell me what you think :)**


End file.
